10 Tips to resist Diwali shopping temptation

Deepavali (Diwali) is round the corner and newspapers and overloaded with full page ads announcing offers and discounts.

Brands pitch in as if this is the last opportunity on earth to buy and save. Even if you're sensible, probably you'll give in to pressure of family members and buy that LED TV or something else that you didn't really need.

In this post, I'm listing some points- reading these might make you resist your temptation to shop. Whatever you save by not buying something, feel free to share a part of it with me for these suggestions.

1. There is tomorrow: Please be assured that showrooms have no intention of shutting shop after Deepavali. After Diwali there's X'mas, new year, Sankranthi, Yugadi and so on. Don't buy something you don't need, just because of offer. There'll be offers next season too.

2. You save 100% when you don't buy. Buying during an offer might save you a bit compared to regular price. But when you don't buy at all, you get to save full 100%

3. Technology improves over time. If you can differ your purchase of electronic goods by few months, please do. Whatever is latest at this moment, will be obsolete couple of months down the line. If you can buy later, you get same technology at lesser price or better technology at same price.

4. Consider alternatives: Do you really need to replace your 29" LCD with a 36" LED at half a lakh rupees? Think of something else that can be done in this amount- may be travel to new destination with family?

5. Estimate the amount brands are spending on advertising- calculate what percentage of your bill could be towards this expense

6. Some clever traders have triggered superstitions like buying something during specific days/season will bring good for buyers. Question back why there's no occasion wherein traders should give something free to people and have all the good things flood their way?

7. Retrospect what happened with your last big ticket purchase: How long did the happiness last? Did it last as promised? Did it get you lot of praises from others? Are you fully satisfied with it?

8. Things can be fixed. General tendency at present is to throw the old one and buy new one. But older items can be repaid to extend their life by several months

10. When salesmen try to force sell something, ask how much resale value it has. When they quote an unrealistic number, claim that you have that product and wish to sell it off at the price he quoted. Check his reaction.

Not saying don't shop this Diwali... All I meant is avoid shopping for the sake of offers.

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Nice one Shrinidhi! Great thoughts, but I guess ppl will remain ppl and all shops will be super crowded during the festival season and you can see all this when the public companies share their balance sheets in January :-)